TV icon ‘CONFIRMS’ he will star in The Traitors celebrity spin-off as he tells bosses to ‘name a time and place’ after host Claudia Winkleman put him at the top of her wishlist
Stephen Fry has reportedly agreed to join the new spin-off of The Traitors.
According to The Sunthe 67-year-old English presenter was at the top of the wish list of presenter Claudia Winkleman (52) for the psychological game show on BBC One.
Insiders report that the comedian has been approached to join the show and that it has been ‘confirmed’ that he will perform.
A source said The Sun: ‘Claudia immediately named Stephen as the top celebrities she wanted in The Traitors and Stephen has made it clear that he is up for it.’
“Stephen is a fan of the show and Claudia was eager to have him on the series.”
Stephen Fry has reportedly agreed to join the new spin-off of The Traitors (pictured in June)
According to The Sun, the English broadcaster, 67, was at the top of presenter Claudia Winkleman’s, 52, wish list for the BBC One psychological game show
They added: ‘No contracts have been signed yet but he has told the show bosses to name a time and date and he will be there.’
Others reportedly on Claudia’s wishlist for next year’s series include Only Connect quiz presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell and actors Adam Woodyatt and Andrew Garfield.
MailOnline has contacted Stephen and Claudia’s representatives for comment.
According to the Sun, Ricky Gervais is also said to be one of the biggest stars to host the show.
It is not known whether he will agree to the BBC’s request, as he has been extremely busy in recent weeks with his popular comedy series for Netflix.
Despite his busy schedule, Beep hopes to convince the actor to return to the channel where he first became world famous with his role in The Office.
A television insider told the publication: ‘The BBC wants the crème de la crème of stars for the celebrity spin-off, and ideally they need to be incredibly smart, funny and mischievous – and that’s Ricky in three words.
‘Behind the scenes, big names have been showing interest in getting involved ever since it was announced that a new version of The Traitors was being made.
Insiders revealed that the comedian was approached to appear on the show and it has been ‘confirmed’ that he will make an appearance (pictured in 2017)
A source told The Sun: ‘Claudia put Stephen at the top of her list of celebrities she would like to have in The Traitors and Stephen has made it clear he is keen’ (pictured in March)
‘So Ricky will be in good company at the Traitors Table, but whether he participates will probably depend on his busy schedule.’
The second season of the popular BBC series The Traitors was a great success earlier this year. The final episode became the most watched episode ever, with 6.9 million viewers.
The gripping reality show has also won a host of awards, including last year’s British Academy Television Awards and National Television Awards.
A third season is already in the pipeline, with filming now underway in the Scottish Highlands after nearly 300,000 people signed up.
The series will be filmed in 2025 and casting for the celebrity candidates has already begun.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, BBC Head of Entertainment, said: ‘The Traitors has firmly established itself as an unmissable highlight of the year and the news of a fourth instalment, along with a brand new celebrity version coming to the BBC, takes the series to a whole new level.’
‘It will once again be fascinating for our audience to see who will outsmart, who will play better and who will survive longer. Let the mind games begin!’
Mike Cotton, Creative Director of Unscripted at Studio Lambert and Executive Producer of The Traitors, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to invite some of the celebrities into our castle to come and play the game.”
Others reportedly on Claudia’s wishlist for next year’s series include Only Connect quiz presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell (Victoria pictured with David Mitchell in 2023)
It has also been reported that the presenter would like to see Adam Woodyatt on the show (pictured in February)
Andrew Garfield is also reportedly on her wish list of A-list stars (pictured in February)
According to the Sun (pictured at the Golden Globe Awards), Ricky Gervais is also said to be among the top stars selected for the show.
Despite his busy schedule, the beep hopes to convince the actor to return to the channel where he initially gained worldwide fame with his role in The Office (pictured)
‘Seeing famous faces around the round table or wearing the infamous green robes is a TV series not to be missed. And what a double treat for fans, as season 4 has also been confirmed.’
‘There’s still a lot of exciting betrayal and deception to come from the Highlands… Claudia will have to pack some extra knitting.’
Earlier this year it was reported producers probably had their eyes on stars like Wagatha Christie could compete with Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy when it comes to a celebrity version.
Others reportedly in the running for the role include former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who finished third in 2022’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, and Match of the Day presenter and former footballer Gary Lineker.
Presenter Claudia previously mentioned the big names she would like to see in a celebrity version of the show.
She listed: ‘Victoria Coren, Kirsty Young, Adam Woodyatt, Stephen Fry, Alison Hammond… let’s do that.’